46 days, nine hours and 27 minutes
by GingerWitchWriter
Summary: Hermione is back at Hogwarts for her final year, without Ron or Harry. It's already been 46 days, nine hours and 27 minutes without Ron (not that she's counting!) A Hogsmeade visit looms, but Hermione worries he might not be there and he might have changed his mind about her. Rated T to be safe - minor mentions of adult activities.


_Sorry! I know I have been promising these for awhile now...I'm just terrible at handing over my work and sit on them for too long! But, here is the first one of a few one shots I have been writing - all between 12 - 20 pages long. They are all my Romione head cannon, all post-Hogwarts and fit in with memories mentioned and/or moments that work with my longer Ron and Hermione story 'Missing Pieces', but they can also be read alone and still make sense!_

 _I have about 8 of these written so far with 2 others in early stages right now. Then a new longer story in planning stages. So, hope you like them! Please leave me reviews - they're the only good emails I get these days! Thank you!_

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"Hermione! Are you ready..." Ginny barged into the school dormitory we shared and stared at me despondently when she found me sat in front of the mirror, still trying to work a brush through my hair. "You're not ready yet!" She grumbled, an annoyance in her tone.

She sat down on the end of my bed, mindful of my cat, Crookshanks, who was curled up, napping in a perfect puddle of sunlight on the sheets. He opened one bleary eye to see who it was, decided that Ginny was okay and with a yawn and a stretch, turned in a circle and settled himself back down.

My eyes met hers through the mirror as I continued trying to tame my hair into anything that didn't resemble a tangled clump of devil's snare. "We have plenty of time, Ginny," I mumbled my reply, trying not to show my frustration with her hurrying me. Hissing a disgusted groan, I set down the brush, giving up on my hair and just pulled it back to tie it into a tidy plait.

"Perhaps so. But I did tell you last night that I wanted to get down to breakfast early so we can get out as soon as possible and have the whole day to spend in Hogsmeade." She reminded me, standing up to peer at her own perfect reflection in the mirror. I felt a burst of jealousy as she effortlessly pulled her fingers through her long, tamed red locks. Why did my hair have to be such a battle? "Because, you know Harry and Ron will be waiting for us and..."

"Correction," I interrupted, shooing her out of the way to grab my shoes from where I had placed them neatly under the bed. "You know _Harry_ will be there. The last letter I had from Ron said he would _try_ his best, but he was having trouble getting them to trade his shift."

"Oh, he'll be there," she dismissed my concern. "And, you don't want to leave him waiting, do you? Don't you miss him? I miss Harry. Two months is such a long time, isn't it?" She gave a dramatic sigh and flopped backwards onto my bed, her forearm over her forehead. Crookshanks gave a disgruntled yowl and a fierce glare, before moving away from her to the top of my bed with a flick of his bushy tail. Ginny had a flair for the dramatics when it suited – something she had learnt growing up with her family I suspected. What older brother could resist their only baby sister throwing a tantrum to get what she wanted?

Though, I admit her somewhat childish antics right now did make me smile, just because it was good to see her happy again, to have something to smile about – for any of us to smile about. It had been a long road after the war and something we were all still struggling to deal with. I was glad that she and Harry had managed to work things out between them and rekindle their relationship, because honestly, for a few weeks, things hadn't looked so good. Harry did his usual when struggling with difficult issues and retreated into himself for awhile, not wanting to bother anyone and thinking Ginny wanted her space. Whilst Ginny was determined to make him work for her affections once again, to prove his love to her. And it was all completely ridiculous, because I knew they still loved one another just as much, if not more, as they had before.

Thinking back on those summer months following the war, reminded me of moments spent alone with Ron and I remembered the question Ginny had asked me. How could I not miss him? It had been so hard to leave him to return to school, something I'd had to do for my own conscience, but that's not to say it was an easy decision to make. Despite the war being over, I was still afraid to have either him or Harry out of my sight for long periods, because sometimes those nightmares would creep in and I had an overwhelming desire to make sure they were okay, that they were safe. Which was rather difficult and impractical to do from Hogwarts.

Not to mention the fact that I felt I had left a piece of myself behind when I'd left Ron on Platform 9 and ¾ on September first. Not only because we had finally confessed our feelings to one another and were in love, but because he was also my comfort, my strength and sometimes a welcome reminder to relax and stop thinking for just a little while. Life wasn't as easy to deal with without him beside me, and I felt pathetic to admit that to anyone, even Ginny.

I sighed. "Of course I miss him," I finally answered her, glancing at the photo of the three of us that I kept beside my bed. "46 days already, not that I'm counting," I added quickly as Ginny scoffed at me. "This is probably the longest I've been away from him in years, but..."

She sat up again, leaning against one of the posts of the canopied bed as she interrupted me. "This is about more than you just worrying he might not make it, isn't it?" she asked me.

I shrugged, avoiding her question whilst getting up to find my cloak to take down with me – it was October after all and the weather was unreliable and chilly up here in the hills. "It's just...it's been seven weeks Gin'," I confided. "What if he's changed his mind about us? What if things are really awkward again? What if..."

"You think too much," she shook her head. "That daft brother of mine is crazy about you. He has been for years...whether he acknowledged that's what it was at the time is beside the point. But, do you think he's going to give up on something he's wanted since he was about 14?" she stared at me. "I don't think so!" She stood and grabbed my arm, linking it with hers. "So, let's go!" she steered me out of the girls dorm and I allowed her to lead me down to the Great Hall for breakfast, filled with apprehension. Crookshanks looked most relieved to be left in peace to sleep when I bid him a quick farewell.

Ginny didn't stop chattering about her plans for the day all throughout breakfast as she piled her plate high with food. It always amused me that such a lithe thing as Ginny had the same ferocious appetite as my boyfriend.

Boyfriend! I stopped with my own spoon to my mouth at that thought. Ronald Weasley was my boyfriend. It still gave me a giddy feeling when I thought about the word or he'd introduce me to someone as his girlfriend. He was the only boy I'd ever felt anything romantic for or intensely about – the only one who had filled my hopes and dreams for years. And the first boy who had awakened...sexual desires in me. It amazed me now to realise that he was mine, just as much as I was his. And once again, as I vaguely heard Ginny prattle on about plans she'd made with Harry, my anxiety level was growing.

I hadn't made any plans with Ron. He'd promised me he would try his best to come up and spend the day, assured me that he really did want to see me and blatantly expressed his feelings over the matter in the language he used in his letter, which he immediately apologised for, adding that he was sorry, but that the whole thing was just fucked up! And then apologised again. His letters might not be overly informative, but they amused me and excited me at the same time.

Although I might occasionally reprimand him to watch his mouth, truth was I found some of his swearing both a turn on and endearing, depending on the situation. He didn't seem able to control it when he was emotional – whether through anger or passion. I suppose growing up with so many older brothers he picked up bad language as easily as his ABC's, it was just a part of who he is. The man I love.

"Hermione, are you even listening to me?" Ginny asked, craning her neck to look out the Great Hall doors to see if people were able to leave yet.

"Oh, yes. Of course." I shook my head and offered her a smile.

"Stop worrying, he'll be here," she nudged me with her elbow as she stabbed another piece of sausage with her fork and carried on about how we could all hang out together for a bit, maybe go for a drink and then go our separate ways if we wanted some...privacy. She'd smirked at that and I wondered vaguely what she really had planned and then realised I probably didn't want to know.

Ron and I had parted reluctantly, but on great terms with one another, almost missing the train whilst we'd been rather consumed with our farewells. But, the truth was this next step of our relationship was still very new to us. It had taken quite a few adjustments to realise we were no longer simply him and me - platonic friends ignorant to how we felt about each other. Our feelings were all out in the open and we were a romantic couple now, yet things had been slightly tentative at the start. Our passion filled kiss in the middle of a battle might have answered unspoken feelings for one another, but it wasn't going to immediately change what we were to each other over night. In the days and weeks following the end of the war, romance was the last thing on our minds as we dealt with the overwhelming grief, survivors guilt and just trying to recover both physically and mentally.

Alongside dealing with recurring nightmares of the horrors we'd been through, the stages of grieving and the long process of recovery, there were practical matters that had to be dealt with. Funerals for lost loved ones - the most difficult of which had been laying Fred to rest – something the family were still trying to come to terms with. And funerals for Tonks, Lupin, Colin and so many others we'd lost hadn't been a bed of roses to go through either. We couldn't be expected to attend every single one, but we did our best because Harry felt he was obligated to be there and we weren't about to let him go through it alone.

And then, eventually, there was the logistics of trying to track down my parents, hoping I could reverse the spell they were under and bring them home. Ron was adamant he was coming with me, that I was not going anywhere without him. And Molly, not wanting us to be alone – purely for safety reasons rather than that she didn't trust us - had asked Bill and Fleur if they would accompany us. We couldn't complain – she had just lost a child, she needed to make sure the rest of her brood were safe. Australia had been...difficult. Fraught with frantic searches and a whole spectrum of emotions to deal with. Ron had been supportive and attentive, but...it hadn't exactly been a romantic getaway!

How on earth were we supposed to concentrate on our love life or nurture these revealed feelings with all that to deal with? Yet, there was this unspoken fact that we were in love with one another, joy over the revelation that we'd fancied each other all this time. On one hand it felt wrong with everything going on to be happy about being in love, that these feelings were finally out in the open, whilst on the other hand it made you more determined to make this work. Having witnessed ghastly horrors and losing so many people made you want to bring a little more love and kindness into the world, to love and live for those who no longer had a choice.

I'll admit that for some weeks, nothing much changed between us other than we were spending more time alone. Although I always felt comfortable spending time with Ron, it didn't really feel natural for the expected boyfriend and girlfriend things yet. It took awhile for us to realise we could still be us, we knew each other's best and worst qualities after all and we already fancied each other, so there was no need to put on any acts to try and impress anyone.

Eventually, over time as we built the foundations of this relationship, we did progress from the few hugs we shared, usually when either of us were upset or in pain, and the occasional chaste kiss to longer embraces and more passionate kisses. I think we were both desperate not to ruin this before it started after waiting so long. And there was a lot of nervous giggling going on when hands began to wander over clothes during snogging sessions – touching places we'd probably admired on one another before, but had been out of bounds until now.

Not that there had been much privacy for that around The Burrow - Molly seemed intent to keep a close eye on her remaining children, which I could understand, but was nevertheless stifling at times. We did manage to escape a few times, sometimes to the pond with Harry and Ginny, but mostly we'd take a blanket into the orchard where we'd lay alone together under the trees and often fall asleep together, catching up after being up half the night with nightmares and grief. But, we talked a lot too, and sometimes spent a happy hour or so just kissing and holding one another.

Not that anything progressed much beyond him copping a feel of my breasts over my clothes or me caressing his denim clad backside or tracing patterns with my finger on his bare chest. By the end of the summer though, we had whispered those all important three words to one another and my heart had burst with joy. Now there was no denying we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend and everyone, my parents included, had accepted that.

With the way things had started out so nervously between us, I found myself worrying that after seven weeks without me, he might have changed his mind about us. What if he decided that this was just too intense and that we would be much better off going back to being only friends? I wasn't sure if my heart could handle that kind of rejection now.

A sudden shriek from Ginny as she dropped her fork back to her plate with a loud clatter startled me from my private ruminations. And then she grabbed hold of my wrist, causing me to spill the goblet of juice I had just picked up to sip from.

"Merlin Ginny!" I gasped, grabbing my wand to syphon up the mess and the stickiness from my hand.

She didn't listen, she was already stumbling over the wooden bench in her haste. "They're letting people go already. Come on!" she yelled back, running ahead with her long red hair streaming behind her like a flame.

I sighed and drank what remained of my juice before getting up to follow her. I had barely touched my own breakfast. I caught up with Ginny at the doors as she bounced on her heals whilst permission forms were being checked. Finally we made it to the front of the queue and Professor McGonagall waved us through without checking for forms – we were treated to a few liberties from the Headmistress these days. I suppose being instrumental in winning a war had to earn you some favours.

"Have a nice day ladies. And say hello to Potter and Weasley for me, won't you?" She smiled knowingly as I gave her a quick nod before Ginny grabbed hold of me, linked her arm through mine and skipped outside, hurrying us along down the long driveway

"You do realise it's only just 8.30, right? What makes you think those two will even be out of bed this early on a day off?" I asked, shaking my head.

She just turned and glared at me, as though I had just informed her that magic wasn't actually real! "Come off it! They haven't seen us in weeks, they'll be there!" She replied, assured of the fact before rolling her eyes at me. She hurried us past a couple of nervous third years out for their first Hogsmeade visit who had been glancing back and whispering about us. There was a lot of that going on these days, glances, pointing, whispering – some nervously approaching us to say hello. We seemed to be thought of as something akin to heroes, thanks to write ups in the Daily Prophet of the battle and our involvement. It was rather distracting to be honest and a little disconcerting. Hogwarts certainly had changed for us.

The impressive wrought iron gates flanked by two columns topped with Winged Boar statues came into view suddenly and Ginny was already trembling with excitement. "Oh, I can't see them..." she moaned, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck to look for them both.

"Well, I did say it was rather earl..."

"There he is!" she suddenly squealed, uncharacteristically girlishly for her, and tossed me aside to run the rest of the way – straight into her boyfriend's arms.

As the crowds in front of me parted, some stopping to stand and stare at the spectacle that was now Ginny and Harry, I saw him lift her off her feet and sway side to side as their lips met. Ginny was clinging to him, her arms locked around his neck and oblivious to anything else around them. Smiling at how happy they were and knowing they deserved it, my focus moved to the open space behind them, hoping to see a familiar lanky, ginger haired boy.

He wasn't there. My heart dropped. I had told myself not to build my hopes up, that it was probable he wouldn't be able to make it. But, hope had surfaced nonetheless. I had to understand that he was working and that it must be important if he couldn't get the time off. I knew he'd be here if he could. I heaved a huge, defeated sigh as I considered my options. I really didn't want to play gooseberry with Harry and Ginny all day, especially not if they were going to behave like that all the time, I rolled my eyes – they were still locked in an embrace. I decided I would say a quick hello to Harry, ask him to give Ron my love and then return to the common room to finish my Potions essay for Slughorn or something. Perhaps I could write a nice long letter to Ron and tell him I understood, that it was okay and point out that Christmas really wasn't too far away – we'd see each other then.

"Oi!" I heard a muffled voice and my head shot up again. "Knock it off will you. Bloody hell!" the voice hissed before a head full of messy ginger locks suddenly popped up from the ground behind them, brushing off his knee and checking his shoe that I suspected he'd been tying.

He was here! Ron was actually here. I froze, just watching him as he glared at his best mate still glued to his sister before he turned away and our eyes met. He gave me a crooked little smile as I grinned at him and then suddenly, my feet launched me forwards and I was within his arms in seconds. My face buried against his jumper as I inhaled his familiar and comforting scent.

"Hey," he mumbled, his arms holding me tightly as he placed a kiss in my hair.

"You're here!" I looked up at him, my chin on his chest.

He frowned. "Well, of course I'm here. Where else would I want to be?" he smirked, stooping lower and raising my face to place his lips on mine.

The kiss started out soft and gentle, our lips pressed together and then he pulled me flush against his body, deepening the kiss into something much more passionate and demanding. My hands slid into his hair as I kissed him back hungrily – seven weeks of stored up kisses to deliver.

"Oi!" Harry's voice suddenly interrupted us, not unlike the way he'd done during our very first kiss. Ron and I parted, turning to glare at Harry who gave us a huge smirk.

"Are you two planning on joining us? Or would you like to get a room?" Ginny laughed, taking Harry's hand as they began to make their way into town.

"Actually not a bad idea," Ron winked at me.

"Ron!" I gasped, slapping his arm and burying my face against his shoulder, feeling myself flush.

"Sorry," he whispered and leant over to steal another tender kiss. "Hey!" he wrenched himself back. Shouting at someone over my shoulder. "We're not selling bloody tickets here you know!" he growled and I noticed a cluster of those same girls Ginny had pushed past suddenly scatter and hurry on their way.

"You too huh?"

"They're everywhere," he groaned, reaching for my hand and finally following behind Harry and Ginny. "People just stop and stare at us, it's annoying," he grumbled. "You know, I even had some mad old biddy ask me for my autograph the other day," he shook his head.

I laughed. "I know it's weird, I get little first years hurtling out of nowhere to say hello to me! I think people are just proud though. They see us as heroes."

"Well, I wish they'd leave us alone!"

It quickly became apparent once we arrived in the village and tried to visit a few shops that we were not going to enjoy a quiet day out. So many people stopped to say hello to us, thank us or declare how nice it was to see us again, whilst others would just point and stare. I found I was spending a lot of my time just trying to keep Ron's temper under control.

"Eurgh! This is bloody fu...flippin'-" Ron changed his words when he caught my warning glance. "-ridiculous!" He grumbled, fighting our way out of Honeydukes through the throngs until we finally burst out of the doors.

"How about we go for a drink?" I suggested, nodding my head towards The Three Broomsticks down the street.

"Good idea," muttered Harry. "Hopefully we can hide somewhere in the corner."

We all piled into the pub, inching past tables, looking for a free one we could sit at and possibly get chance to talk.

"All righ' there Harry?" We heard as we bumped into something rather large and solid. The four of us looked up and then smiled.

"Hello Hagrid," Harry replied, accepting the half-giants pat on the shoulder, making him stumble sideways into Ron.

"Up here t'see yer ladies, eh?" Hagrid attempted a wink and then nodded at myself and Ron. "About ruddy time!" he chuckled, nudging Ron, who fell backwards. "Oh, sorry, sorry!" he pulled him upright. "I'll not in'erup' then. Have fun," he laughed, elbowing Harry a little gentler. "Yer always welcome t'visit yeh know. Miss havin' you lot around." He added.

"We'll try to pop in before we leave," Harry promised him.

The boys followed Hagrid to the bar, gallantly offering to buy drinks for us. Ginny and I finally found a free table, thankfully in the corner. Ron was appreciative of that when they returned with drinks and climbed over me into the furthest chair.

Although things were slightly more peaceful in the pub, with less people bothering us simply because they couldn't see into the darkened corner – it was crowded today and not ideal for a chat in privacy. Still, we managed to catch up a bit with one another – Ginny asking after the family and both boys were interested in the recent Quidditch try-outs. But, after finishing our drinks, we decided to head out, squeezing back through the crowds, keeping our heads down to avoid being noticed.

"We'll see you later," Ron informed Harry and Ginny whilst taking hold of my hand once we made it outside.

"We will?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Possibly," he winked.

"But, why...where. I mean what are we..." I stumbled over my words.

"Fine, we might see you later too," Harry decided, sharing a look with Ginny.

"Oi! Remember she's my baby sister!"

"Oh grow up Ron!" Ginny snapped. "I am of age now. Besides, I hardly think you're dragging Hermione off to study or share tea parties!"

"Yeah...well," he seemed lost for words. "Just watch it, right?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. "Come on Harry, ignore my prat of a brother." Harry gave us a wave before slipping his arm around his girlfriends' waist and headed off together.

"Bloody tosser," Ron muttered.

" _T_ _hat_ is your best friend!" I reminded him.

"Yeah, with his hands all over _my_ little sister."

I sighed deeply. Was he ever going to get over this? "Why don't we forget about them, weren't you intending to take me somewhere?" I asked him sweetly.

"Oh yeah. Come on." His frown was replaced with a secret smile as he took my hand again and turned in the opposite direction they'd just taken.

We walked for some time, heading out of the village, passing the wooden stile were we'd once met up with Sirius and continued on. "Just where are you taking me?" I asked, after stumbling over the third rock in trying to keep up with him.

"Somewhere private," he turned as he replied. "Oh, sorry," he seemed to realise he was going a little too fast for me. "It's just a little further. Promise," he smiled and placed a kiss against my forehead.

Finally, five minutes later, we stopped and Ron looked around. "I think this will do," he decided to himself and dropped my hand to pull something from his pocket. We were in a small clearing, a purple carpet of heather surrounding us. A copse of bushes and trees shedding their leaves shielding us from any prying eyes. I turned back from admiring the view to see what Ron was up to. He had pulled a little leather pouch from his pocket and was rummaging inside of it before he produced a blanket which he shook out and spread on the ground for us to sit on.

"What?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye as I gaped at him in stunned silence. "Think you're the only one who can perform undetectable extension charms?" He looked proud of himself. "Come on, take a seat." He patted a patch of blanket beside him and I sat down.

With a shy smile and a pink tinge to his ears, Ron tugged me closer and kissed my lips softly and briefly once. Then, knowing he wasn't about to be refused, leant back in and kissed me deeper, his arms curling around my back as I sighed against him, cupping his cheek and returning the kiss just as passionately, tongues making a short, subtle appearance.

I sighed as we pulled apart and we smiled at one another. I stroked my thumb against the barely there stubble on his cheek – looks like someone had been in a hurry this morning and not had time for a shave! I didn't mind, it kind of added to his sex appeal.

"So, this is nice, yeah?" he asked me, an arm still around my shoulders.

"Lovely," I replied, laying my head on his shoulder whilst taking in the view. We were slightly above the village now with the castle of Hogwarts in the distance – completely out of the way of any other people.

Realising we were truly alone for the first time in a months, I grew a little nervous. Ron might have his moments of being a little uncouth at times, but I knew he'd been raised well and would respect a woman. Even still, would he be expecting anything? And I should I give in if he did? I knew that I loved Ron - I had for years, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for that level of intimacy just yet. Not that I hadn't thought about it, because I had – a lot. Thoughts of us together filled many a dream and fuelled a few fantasies alone in the shower. But, dreaming of something and physically doing something were entirely different.

For now Ron seemed content to lay back on the blanket, pulling me down to cuddle up beside him. He'd transfigured a rock into a comfortable, plump pillow on which to lay our heads.

"McGonagall would be very impressed," I commented.

He turned his head and frowned at me. "I'd rather not think about her right now, thanks." he quipped before sliding his arm under my shoulders and pulling me a little closer, kissing the top of my head.

For some time it was nice to just lay quietly together, listening to the sounds of nature and our breathing with nothing more pressing to do. It felt a little strange to be doing nothing, guilty even. The past few weeks had been hectic upon my return to school and I knew Ron was busy trying to get to grips with the responsibilities of his Auror training as well as helping out George on any day off he had.

When he asked how things were going at school, he patiently listened whilst I chattered on about how intense the N.E.W.T level was already and the amount of homework we were set. I explained in detail about the new homework timetable I had devised with a new planner I'd bought and was trying to convince Ginny to use as well. I only stopped going on about the extent we were being tested in Arithmancy when I caught sight of his eyes glazing over and he tried to stifle a yawn.

"Sorry," I mumbled, lowering my head. "You don't really want to hear all that. This is our time." I felt rather contrite that I was wasting our time together rambling on about all the essays I had yet to write.

Ron rolled over, propping himself up on his elbow to face me. "I want to know everything that's going on with you. And you wouldn't be you if you didn't go on about your classes and homework," he gave me a wry grin. "But, I did kind of mean how things were...emotionally at school?" He smiled, tucking a frizzy curl that had escaped my plait back behind my ear.

I sighed then, turning to look at him too. "Things are just...different now," I shrugged. "I know there's corridors that both Ginny and I avoid and we each have our own memories to haunt us. Hogwarts might be repaired to it's former glory, but it will never be the same, you know?" I asked him, catching hold of his hand and lacing our fingers together.

He nodded and looked down at our hands. "Are you sleeping okay?"

"Mostly," I confessed, shrugging one shoulder. "Are you?" I squeezed his hand slightly.

"Mostly," he repeated. "It gets easier...but there's some nights..." he faded off and I knew exactly what he meant. Some nights there seemed to be nothing that could chase away the demons.

"Coming back to school to finish my education was important to me and being able to absorb any new information is still a thrill for me. But, there's part of me that wishes I had stayed at home, where I can be with you and be there to support each other."

He smiled and leant down to kiss my forehead. "I miss you too," he murmured, saying everything I meant in just four words.

I laughed once and took hold of his hand. "I really do miss both you and Harry being here. Ginny's a great friend, but she's not quite the same you know - she actually checks and completes her own homework," I teased, poking him in the ribs with a finger.

Ron raised his eyebrows. "I can always send you my Auror reports to finish if you like?" He teased.

"That's still as frustrating, huh?"

He rolled his eyes, laying flat on his back again. "I never knew being an Auror involved so much bloody paperwork," he launched into what was now a familiar rant. "It always seemed exciting and daring when we were watching the others, witnessing secret missions and hearing all the stories. But I honestly spend 80% of my time sat in an office doing research and other boring stuff."

"I'm sure what you and Harry are doing is crucial though – identifying on the run Death Eaters and the like for capture. Plus, you're still an apprentice right now. Things will get better once you pass all your training. And you will you know, pass with flying colours," I assured him, snuggling into his side again. "As much as I know you hate writing reports and essays, I know you are very talented and smart when you put your mind to something."

"Are you trying to flatter me?" he chuckled.

"Perhaps," I raised one eyebrow. "Is it working?"

Ron lifted his head then, rolling over slightly, taking me with him. "I might need a little more convincing," he grinned impishly.

Knowing that a physical act to show him how special I thought he was would work so much better than any words I could tell him, I lowered my lips to his and kissed him softly. He gripped my back and deepened the kiss almost instantly, as though he was hungry for my kisses. I suppose after more than six weeks without, we both were. He pulled me down so that I was laying half on top of him whilst lips and tongues moved together in the dance they had learnt over the summer, something they had perfected by now.

My hands found themselves in his hair, running through his silky soft locks that I loved so much, having wondered for years what his hair felt like, sometimes physically restraining myself not to reach out and touch and have him think me weird, now I was taking complete liberties in my exploration. As was he, so it seemed. A hand ran down my back, stopping just shy of caressing my backside initially and then giving in as he hesitantly cupped my left buttock and squeezed gently. His hands had been venturing further the last few times we'd kissed, touching parts of my body and any exposed skin that had never been touched by another before.

I had to remind myself sometimes not to slap his tentative fingers away, that it was okay for him to touch me, that I actually wanted him to, even if it made me nervous. I knew he would never push me to go further than I was ready for, but I also knew he was a hot blooded 18 year old boy with hormones and urges running rampant, it was only natural he'd want to get closer, for us to go further.

One of my hands slid from his hair and down his chest, feeling the firm muscles that were emerging, and then lower, reaching the hem of his shirt that had ridden up and stroking his smooth soft skin at his waist. Ron grunted in that way he did when I knew I was doing something he particularly liked and I smiled against his mouth as his hand grasped my backside again before inching upwards, under my shirt.

His large, warm and slightly calloused fingers stroked my skin, goose pimples emerging under his touch. His lips tumbled from mine, trailing soft kisses along my jaw, my neck and then, burying his face in my shoulder, he kissed along my collarbone. I sighed contently, fingers digging into the flesh at his waist as his fingers grazed the sides of my breasts, up and down, teasing me.

He caught my eye as he raised his head and I pulled him back to my lips. Fingers clenched in his hair as he rolled us so that we lay side by side, facing each other. His hand slid upwards slightly and cupped my entire breast over my bra in his palm. I emitted a soft moan as my nipple demanded attention, thrusting against his palm as he caressed back and forth.

"Ron..." I gasped his name, kissing his lips, the tip of his nose, his chin, anywhere I could reach as my own hands slid down his back, somehow slipping under the waistband of his jeans and it took a grunt for me to realise that I was running my thumbs back and forth over the smooth, soft, naked skin of his backside. Ron moaned his approval, dipping his head to kiss my neck again.

Shifting my position slightly, my thigh unintentionally met with his crotch where a bulge was becoming hard. Ron groaned against my ear and gripped my breast in his hand. The sound excited me, so I repeated the move purposefully, until Ron froze and pulled his hand from my shirt and let go of me completely.

Thinking I had upset him or done something wrong, I looked up, confused as to why he'd pulled back. His eyes were closed, his breathing heavy and biting his bottom lip. He looked very flushed and more than a little flustered. "Sorry, I..." I stammered, feeling my own cheeks flush with colour. Okay, things had been getting a little more heated than they had before, but I wasn't exactly an unwilling participant here.

He coughed as he sat up. "M'maybe we should... stop," he spoke, his voice sounding gravelly as he moved back a little, running his hands through his own hair as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Are you okay? Did I...do something wrong?" I asked. I was worried now.

"No," he yelped – his voice a little high pitched. "It's fine...I just, erm, need a minute. You hungry?" He quickly changed the subject. "I'm hungry..."

I shrugged, feeling a little awkward. "I suppose I didn't eat much breakfast." I replied. "Do you want to head back into the village to get something?" I sat up and began brushing off grass and straightening my clothes still wondering why the abrupt change.

When I looked back towards him, I noticed the subtle adjustment his hand made between his legs and a sudden rush of embarrassment filled me. How could I have been so naive? He had obviously been getting a little, erm... _too_ excited. I made to get up, feeling awful, like some tormenting harpy. Because even if I was edging closer to being ready to take this next step in our relationship in the not too distant future, I certainly didn't want our first time to be in the middle of a meadow, in October and only a short throw away from school. I had been such a tease!

"Sorry...sorry!" I gasped out, feeling uncomfortable as I shifted from foot to foot.

"No," Ron grabbed my hand before I could move. "I mean, it's fine. There's no need." He smiled shyly and looked around for that little leather pouch he'd had before. "I came prepared," he added and delved inside the bag, pulling out two strangely wrapped packages, a bottle of pumpkin juice and finally a couple of apples. He unwrapped the paper from around the packages and revealed fresh, thick slices of bread, cheese and ham. In another package he revealed a couple of slices of Battenburg cake that I recognised as his Mum's baking. After he spread it all out, he looked up at me, expectantly.

"Were you just expecting to get hungry today or did you plan to share a picnic with me?" I chuckled lightly, glad to diffuse the awkward moment as I knelt back on the blanket.

He shrugged. "This is kind of how I had been hoping our day would go. Not that chaos of the village."

I smiled at him and leant forwards to brush my lips against his. "I'm very impressed."

I was more than impressed, I was touched. No, I was in love. How had this adorable, ginger haired young man whom I had once accused of lacking much of an emotional range, who didn't always display much tact and claimed to have zero interest in anything remotely romantic manage to plan our day more perfectly than I had? A girl who always made plans, about every aspect of her life and devoured romance novels on the sly. I watched him assemble a sandwich, complete with mayonnaise from a little jar that he also pulled from his pouch.

"So, is this our first real date?" I asked, as he passed the first sandwich to me. "Thank you."

He stared at me, wide eyed – as though the idea had never occurred to him. "A...a date?" he asked, voice soft.

"Yes-" I nodded, "-you know, something couples do together when they're going out with each other? Spending time together recreationally." I smiled. He was becoming flustered again.

"Well, this is hardly a date," he muttered. "Sitting in the middle of nowhere on a musty old blanket with some food I took from my Mum's kitchen."

"I doubt she'd mind."

"That's not the point. I mean, this is nothing like me taking you to one of them movings or a fancy Muggle restaurant with candles and wine, is it?" He still sounded sulky, embarrassed almost that this was the best he could do right now.

"Movings?" I asked, not understanding what that was.

"You know!" he threw a hand into the air, becoming frustrated. "That bloke took his girlfriend to a moving on something I saw on those Muggle boxes at your parents over the summer."

"Oh," I nodded, it dawning on me what he was referring to. Ron had been invited to my parents house for dinner a few times over the summer once they'd settled back in, and he'd become quite fascinated with the TV. He was referring to a film we'd watched on TV with them one night. "You mean going to the movies? Taking someone out to the cinema to see a film?"

"Yeah, that." he nodded once.

"Well, that might be nice, for most average girls. But, I actually prefer this. It's beautiful out here and we're in private. This is romantic and perfect...because I'm with you."

"Huh," he scoffed, disbelieving me.

"Ron, look at me," I put my sandwich down and took hold of his face between my hands. "I don't need fancy things and I don't care what we do, so long as we get to spend time together. I just like being with you. Just the two of us."

"Really?" he asked, a smile returning to his face when I dropped my hands from his face, resting them on his knees.

"Yes. Honestly, this, right now, is perfect. And especially because you planned it all for us by yourself."

He set our food aside for a moment and leant over to brush his lips against mine. "Still, I promise that when you're home for Christmas, we'll have a proper first date. We can go to the movings or for dinner somewhere fancy and..."

I curled my arms around his neck. "Well, I shall look forward to that. But, that will be our second real date. Because, this, right here, will always be our first." I pulled him closer then and kissed him softly, tenderly, slowly growing in passion as I felt his arms tighten around me and press his body against mine.

I smiled against his lips, all of a sudden struck with the notion that it felt completely natural to be in his arms, kissing him. I would never again question whether he'd prefer we'd remained just friends ever again. Ron was it for me, he was my person and whenever we were together, whatever we were doing, my world was safe and happy and full of love.

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Please leave kind reviews/feedback. Thank you! I will post another one in a couple of weeks.


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